Core i3-6100H vs Core i7-5650U

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Core i3-6100H vs Core i7-5650U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i3-6100H vs Core i7-5650U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i3-6100H

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-5650U across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (3 MB vs 4 MB).

Core i7-5650U

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,000 vs 3,003).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i3-6100H better than Core i7-5650U?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-5650U is ahead with a 3.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-6100H pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark. Core i7-5650U also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i3-6100H is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i3-6100H still makes the most sense overall. Core i3-6100H comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i3-6100H makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i3-6100H vs Core i7-5650U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i3-6100H

The Core i3-6100H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,003 points. Launch price was $225.

Core i7-5650U

The Core i7-5650U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,000 points. Launch price was $426.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i3-6100H and Core i7-5650U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Core i3-6100H versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-5650U — a 13.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-5650U (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i3-6100H uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-5650U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-6100H scores 3,003 against the Core i7-5650U's 3,000 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i3-6100H. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i3-6100H vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-5650U.

Feature	Core i3-6100H	Core i7-5650U
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	3.1 GHz+15%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz+23%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB	4 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	512 kB+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Broadwell-U (2015)
PassMark	3,003	3,000

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Memory & Platform

The Core i3-6100H uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-5650U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.